The present invention relates to a handle for carpet sample boards and a spacer for separating the sample boards.
In the carpet industry, it is necessary to show dealers and customers a wide variety of carpet samples due to the many different color, pattern, weight, yarn and tufting combinations that are available. One of the more popular methods of transporting and displaying carpet samples is by mounting the samples on a display board. These boards are typically eighteen inches wide and twenty-seven inches tall, made of one-fourth inch thick paper xe2x80x9cchip board.xe2x80x9d The board is laminated with a glossy printed advertisement and carpet swatches are glued or otherwise affixed to it.
Typical display boards can weigh as much as, or even in excess of, ten pounds. Sample boards typically have an oval hole punched near their top center for use as a handle. This xe2x80x9chandle holexe2x80x9d can have sharp edges, tends to fray, and in general has an unprofessional and unfinished look.
Other options for transporting and displaying carpet samples have generally included: placing carpet sample boards in binder systems so that multiple sample pages can be carried and displayed in a book-like format; or attaching elaborate handle systems to the sample boards.
This has created a second problem with typical display systems in that rubbing occurs between the backs of the display boards and the carpet samples. Because of the vigorous use of display systems carpet samples become worn and take on a xe2x80x9cusedxe2x80x9d appearance that is undesirable to the trader of such goods. In addition, pressure on the carpet pile when sample boards are stacked on one another causes the carpet to mat unattractively.
The present invention adapts the standard sample chip board with handle hole at very little cost or additional weight to create a finished appearance, prevent fraying around the hole, and eliminate the sharp handle edges. In addition, the invention includes spacers that separate carpet samples from the backs of display boards when using the display boards in a binder display system. The spacers prevent the carpet pile from being pressed flat.
A handle for carpet sample boards is provided by the present invention which can be installed in new sample boards and used to retrofit existing boards. The handle is provided by two identical grommet halves which meet in the handle hole and secure the chip board between them. The grommet halves are joined by a simple mechanical interlocking mechanism such as a male and female plug system.
The grommet halves are elegantly and economically formed to provide a finished appearance to the sample boards, to provide a comfortable handhold with no sharp edges, and to prevent fraying of the edges of the handle.
A spacer for carpet sample boards is also provided by the present invention where the spacing unit consists of two spacers each having a male and female member. The male member rests on the top surface of the board and mates with a female member on the opposite bottom surface. The spacer is designed to extend to a height above the board sufficient to clear the exposed carpet sample. The spacer unit typically consists of two spacers of identical construction where both spacers have male and female members. In this arrangement the spacers are arranged lengthwise on the sample board with a first spacer mounted on the upper portion of the sample board and a second spacer mounted on the lower portion of the sample board. The two spacers are arranged such that the female and male members of each spacer mate with the female and male members of the opposing spacer. This is accomplished by aligning the post section of the male member through an aperture positioned in the sample board. The apertures are arranged such that each post section for the two spacers align with the complimentary female member of the opposite spacer. The top surface of each spacer protects the surface of the carpet sample by preventing contact between the carpet sample and the next sample board in the binder.
A second arrangement uses a spacer unit formed of two pieces, the first with a male plug and the second with a female plug. The first male spacer piece contains a top surface for protecting the exposed carpet and a post section that extends through an aperture in the sample board. The second female spacer piece contains a hole for mating with the male spacer and mates or friction fits snugly to lock the spacer unit. Again, the top surface of the first male spacer extends sufficiently above the sample board to protect the surface of the carpet. In both male and female spacer constructions the spacer may contain lateral flange. Typically the top surface and the post section of the male spacer are separated by a lateral support. This arrangement is particularly advantageous because the user may easily remove or place a spacer unit with only one male-female connection and thereby evoke spacer points. Spacers built in this fashion do not need to extend a significant portion of the width of the sample board. Instead, small spacer units may be placed at both sides of the board, and economics realized in the quantity of molding compound used in spacer manufacture per sample board.